Boot and shoe heel construction



Nov. 12, 1940. L. SPROVIERI 2,221,383

- BOOT AND SHOE HEEL CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 19, 1958 Patented. Nov. 12, 1940 PATENT OFFICE g 2,221,388 7 I BOOT AND SHOE HEEL CONSTRUCTION Luigiflsprovi eri, Port ArthunjOntario, Canada Application December 19, 1938, Serial No. 246,708

, In Canada December 23, 1937 3Claims. (01. 36 -34.)

This-invention relates to boot and shoe heel construction.

. In ordinary boots and shoes, the heel is set excessively far back on the ShOe with regard to its height. One disadvantage of this is that when a step is taken, forces are exerted tending to cause the heel to rotate with respect to the rest of the shoe in an anti-clockwise direction, and thus tending to break the arch of the foot outwards. 10 A second disadvantage is that by far the greater part of the arch of the foot has no direct support from the ground, owing to the long gap between the front of the heel and the point Where the forward part of the sole of the shoe first 15 touches the ground. Moreover, in ordinary shoes,-

the heel is so constructed that it slopes upwardly from front to back so that the front of the heel normally touches the ground but the back does not. This results in a third disadvantage of the 20 ordinary construction, namely that such support as the arch of the foot does receive through th front of the heel is not resilient and is Very apt to become a source of foot fatigue.

It has previouslybeen proposed to move the 25 heel further forward and slope it inwardly at the back, at the same time so constructing the shoe that when the sole is on the ground the heel touches the ground only along its front edge, and is only brought flat on the ground by the weight 30 of the wearer. This proposal does avoid the first disadvantage referred to, but subjects the foot to undue pressure and strain which is greatly accentuated by the forward extension of the heel, with the result that the latter far from being 35 a desirable feature is, in the construction in question, an undesirable one.

According to the present invention, the back of the heel of a boot or shoe is inwardly sloped from top to bottom, and the bottom of the heel is of 40 substantially normal dimensions, but is set not less than about one-half inch, and according to circumstances up to about one inch ahead of the position normally occupied by a heel of its kind, and instead of normally touching the ground at 45 the front but not at the back, is upwardly sloped from back to front so that it normally touches the ground at the back but not at the front, with the result that the heel extends well under-the arch and the front of the heel affords a resilient sup- 50 port for the arch without exerting any undue pressure upon it.

The invention will be more fully understood by reference to the attached drawing, in which Figure 1 shows a mans shoe with an ordinary 65 heel construction.

Figure 2 shows the same shoe with a heel construction according to the present invention.

Figure 3 shows a medium heeled womans shoe with an ordinary heel construction, and

Figure 4 shows the shoe of Figure 3 with a heel 5 construction according to the present invention.

In Figure 1, the back of the heel I of the shoe slopes slightly outwardly, the back portion 2 of the bottom of the heel is off the ground, while the front portion 3 touches the ground. In the construction according to the invention shown in Fig. 2, the bottom of the heel 4 is of the same dimensions as the bottom of the heel l but is set a little over three-quarters of an inch ahead of the position occupied by the heel I. The back 5 of the heel is inwardly sloped so as not to leave the rear of the sole without support. Instead of being upwardly sloped from front to back like the heel l the heel 4 is upwardly sloped from back to front so that its back portion 6 touches the ground, but its front portion I normally does not.

It will be seen that the construction according to the invention extends the heel under the arch and, by keeping it normally off the ground throughout the whole of its front part, gives the arch of the foot a resilient support which does not exert any undue pressure on the foot or tend to distort the latter in any way.

In the womans shoe of Figure 3, which is an ordinary shoe, the back of the heel 8 is already somewhat inwardly sloped but only about enough to compensate for the increased height of the heel and shorter steps likely to be taken by the wearer. The heel, moreover, is not as long as in the mans shoe of Figure 1. In principle, however, the heel 8 is the same as the heel I.

In Figure 4, the heel 9 is set a little under three-quarters of an inch ahead of the position occupied by the heel 8 and the .back of the heel 9 is consequently considerably more inwardly sloped than the back of the heel 8, otherwise, the heel 9 is the same as the heel 4. It will be noted that the distance between the front of the heel 9 and the point at which the sole of the shoe of Figure 4 touches the ground is only very slightly greater than the distance between the front of the heel 4 and the point at which the sole of the shoe of Figure 2 touches the ground.

Medium and low heeled shoes and boots with the heel construction of the present invention have been worn for about the last two years by a comparatively large number of persons including those such as postmen and policemen obliged to walk or at least be on their feet a great deal. They have in every case given entire satisfaction.

' comfort areapt to be secondary to considerations of fashion.

I claim:-

1. A boot or shoe having a heel of not over medium height with a tread of the same dimen--- sions as those of the tread of a normal heel of the same kind and height and a back having such aninward slope from top to bottom as to bring the lower breast edge of the heel directly under a point on the sole not less than about one-half inch ahead of the point under which the lower breast edge of a normal heel of the same kind and height would lie directly, said heel being also upwardly sloped from back to front so as normally to touch the ground at the back but not at the front; the front of the heel thus affording a resilient support for the arch of the foot.

2. A low heeled mans boot or shoe having a heel according to claim 1 which is thicker at the back than at the front.

3. A boot or shoe-according'toclaim I, in which the point on the sole under which the lower breast edge of the heel lies directly is between about three-quartersof an inch and one inch ahead of the point under which the lower breast edge of a normal heel of the same kind and height I would lie directly.

LUIGI SPROVIERI. 

